Tamara walked over, pressed her fingers hard against the wound, and hissed through clenched teeth, "Arthur, Jarvis is doing you a favor by using the venue you set up. Don't push your luck."
She waved a hand behind her.
"Someone strip the groom's suit off him. Have it cleaned and put it on Jarvis."
Before I could react, a swarm of hulking men rushed me and tore every piece of clothing from my body.
December in the capital was already bitterly cold. I stood under the spotlight in nothing but my underwear, shaking.
Roaring laughter erupted from the crowd below.
"See that? When a man's got nothing to offer, even the woman in his arms gets snatched away! Pathetic!"
"Being broke is one thing, but being stupid is another! Does he even know who that girl caught the eye of? That's the young heir of the Farley family, the richest in the city! If a man like that wants your woman, you hand her over with a bow, even if she's given you eight kids!"
"Otherwise—"
The man jutted his chin in my direction.
"You end up like that."
The jeering didn't stop until Jarvis walked back onstage wearing my suit. Then the crowd fell silent.
Tamara and Jarvis kissed shamelessly on the stage of the wedding I'd spent seven years planning.
Watching Tamara's flushed face, I knew the girl from seven years ago was gone. The one who'd shared a cramped rental with me and made me believe nothing could ever shake what we had. That girl was dead.
The truth was, I hadn't planned to let anything shake it.
But my grandfather had already set a plan in motion.
The press conference to announce my return had already been scheduled. Two days from now.
Grandfather said he'd sent people to look into my performance at the company where I'd been working all these years. He was pleased. When the time came, he would hand me control of the Farley Group directly.
As for Jarvis, that would be left entirely up to me.
The day of the press conference happened to coincide with the traditional day for Tamara to visit her parents after the wedding. I'd originally planned to surprise her that day.
But I never expected...
The emcee was egging them on again, urging them to kiss.
I swallowed the nausea rising in my stomach, grabbed a tablecloth to drape over myself, and started to leave.
"Stop him!"
The moment I stood, Jarvis's snarl cut through the air from the stage.
I turned and met his eyes, brimming with smug satisfaction.